Wichita eagle., 1887-10-05
TRIPLE S0MERSAULTS.
THE REASONS WHY so FEW OF
THEM HAVE BEEN TURNED.

| Broken Necks-A 14-Year-Old Boys
Successful Feat-A Circus Mans Bold
Oner-The Requirements.
The first remembered attempt to throw a
| triple somersault in this country was by a
| performer in Van Amburgh'sc circus in Mobile,
| Ala, in 1912. He fell ON his head and broke
his neck Another attempt was made in
London, Eng, in 1916. It was made in
Astley's amphitheatre, then leased to Howe
| & Gushing, the American managers. In the
company were Mr.. L Lipman, a fine vaulter,
now in Cincinnati: the late Levi ]. North, q
famous equestrian; the late William O. Dale,
an acrobat and equestrian, who afterwards
lost his sight and died at Cincinnati; and
William l. Hobbies, a champion leaper. It
was previously announced that Hobbies would
attempt a triple, and the house was jammed.
He tried it, and was Instantly killed.
| The next to attempt the dangerous feat
was John Amor, who was born in the home
| CT Dan Rice's father, near Girard, Pa. Amor
travelled for years in this country with Dan
| Rices circus, and in that day was considered
| the greatest gymnast in America, if not in
the world He was said to be the first per
former in America to turn a double somer-
] sault over four horses. In 1859 he went to
| England and Travelled with a circus all
| through the United Kingdom. In the same
| year ne attempted to turn triple somersault
| at the Isle of Wight, but landed on his fore
| head after he turned twice, and broke his neck
Billy Dutton performed the great feat while
| a member of Lakes circus at Elkhorn, Ills,
in 1860, at a rehearsal, in the presence Of John
Lowlow, the famous clown. Dutton was
ambitious to have it to say that he did it, but
did not make the attempt with the intention
of repeating it. He made the leap from a
high spring board, and actually turned three
times Dutton was very proud, but sensibly
said that he would not try it again, and that
his alighting OH his feet was an accident, as
he could not control his body after turning
the second time
OTHER FATALITIES.
Frank Stark, who was reared by John
Robinson, the circus manager, undertook the
feat at the fair grounds in Indianapolis in
1870 for wager Of 500. In the first at
tempt he turned three times, but alighted On
his hands. Everybody was satisfied with the
result, and the money was rendered him.
He proudly refused it, saying that the feat
had not been accomplished; that he would
repeat it, and alight upon his feet before he
Felt sufficiently justified in taking the $1O0
He did repeat it, but struck on his head, dis
locating his lieck, and his death resulted in a
few hours afterward
Bob Stickney, the Apollo Belvedere of the
modern arena, accomplished tine 6 eat feat at
the age of IA years, while practicing in the
Hippo theatre, on Fourteenth street, New
York, in 1916 William Stein, at the time an
attsche of the circus, and who now, with his
wife, gives a second sight" performance,
was one of the persons who held the common
wooden blanket upon which Stickney alighted
Sam Bernhardt, OF Columbus, O., retired
leaper, while travelling with the Cooper and
Bailey circus, in 1910, became dissatisfied
with the double somersault feat, in which he
was an adept and burned to perform the
triple At Toledo he announced that he would
make the attempt, and he did so, notwith-
standing the advice of his friends not to try
it. Sam made splendid high leap, actually
turned three times, but landed on his seat in
stead of his feet.
BOLD OFFER.
Bob Stickney, who is now travelling with
Forepaugh's circus, was interviewed In De-
troit last Decoration Day. He said:
IL did it once, as related in your article,
and although have confined myself to riding,
and have done no leaping for seven years,
can do it again. get the highest wages in
the profession, $3.50 week, but if any circus
manager will give me $500 week 1 will en-
gage to attempt a triple at every stand during
the tenting season. l do not mean to make
the attempt more than once day, and only
in the daytime"
"Would you need any improved or original
apparatus?" was asked.
mo. l would simply need the usual spring
board at five or six feet from the ground. But |
would need strong net, with fine meshes
Faripa introduced the net when he came to |
this country in 1878, and in Barnum's circus |
fired a woman out of a cannon into the air. It |
was really very strong spring which elevated |
the performer. The net into which she fell |
made the feat possible II ever the triple |
somersault can be made daily performance,
it will be by means Of the net. If / under |
took it would have straw mattress ten |
feet square and one foot thick, placed on the |
ground about twenty feet from the spring |
board. On this l would have feather mat |
tress of the same length and width, but about |
two feetthick. On the top of the latter, and |
touching it, | would have a strong net, with |
meSneS ncI more Cndn one men apart, and
strained perfectly tight For $500 week !
would make daily sttempt at the afternoon
performances to accomplish this feat. But it
would seem that leaping was going out of |
fashion nowadays. Since we had fatal
accident at the opening Of this season, Fore
paugh has discontinued the leaning act alto
gether."
That a triple somersault was ever accom-
plished before a circus audience after due an
and under the same conditions
As double somersaults are performed, may be
seriously doubted-St. Louis Globe-D Demo
crat.
TribulAtions of an Inventor.
The way of inventors without means or
supporters is not to be envied Nothing can
be done with an invention in the present day
unless the aspiring genius who secures
patent also engages the attention Of men with
money. Great corporations have to be ap-
pa he'd, and as they are not. as rule dis
posed to espouse the cause of every plausible
device, the man with patent must demon
'trate to the satisfaction of managers that
MS ideas will stand the brunt of actual ser.
vice after emerging from the experimental
tage The moral of this is that an inventor.
o be successful, must have sufficient ability
20 organize strong company composed Of
men whose names are q guarantee and then |